


Each Little Bird That Sings

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, roadtrip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-14
Updated: 2014-04-14
Packaged: 2018-01-19 08:03:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1461886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once again, Steve manages to find himself half-alive and lost.<br/>At least he has friends this time.<br/><i>right?</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Each Little Bird That Sings

When Steve wakes up he sees a white ceiling and feels cold.   
For a few second he thoroughly freaks the fuck out.

Arms thrashing, legs moving off the bed, mind hazy; in the middle of it all he thinks.

_No._   
_Not again._

"Steve."

The voice stalls the soldier into finally looking around. Finally opening his eyes.  
And he lets out a breathe he didn't know he was holding.

They're still in the hotel.

Steve turns ( _to his left_. the thought's small, stupid, vanishes within a minute it was made) and sees Sam sitting up on his bed concentrating on him.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

The static voices of the tv in the room fill his head, but he still can't make out the words. Focusing on the letters, but not the entire picture. It's melancholy, in a way.

"I'm good."

\-------

That Tuesday marks the official three weeks they've been traveling. Following a trail getting smaller by the minute with nothing but the empty conversations, wallets full of money, and nowhere else to go.

No bringing something you couldn't part with. No getting off schedule. No staying in the same place for more than two days.  
No feelings.  
Just work.  
Those were the rules.

Small, simple. Orderly.  
All of what they've been missing the past few weeks.

They'll get over it.

\-------

One day a couple weeks later, just after passing another exit to a restaurant, Sam gets a phone call.  
Steve turns down the car's radio that was blaring Daft Punk and catches the phone as Sam tosses it to him,

Nether recognize the number, but it must be someone important since no one really knows Sam's number.  
Shrugging it off, he nods to Steve and he answers.

" _Hello?_ "

What he hears next almost makes him cry.   
Almost.

" _Steve? shit—_ What- Where's Sam?"

Sam must've also heard the voice because he quickly turns the radio completely off and listens.

"Natasha! _Where are you?_ "

"Nowhere important."

The blond's about to respond when the Russian speaks up again.

"Where are you two?"

Steve looks to Sam who shrugs again.

"Last sign I saw said we were a couple miles from Minneapolis?"

"Near Minneapolis, I think." 

From behind the other cellphone Natasha manages to sound a mix of confused, slightly concerned, and a bit deadpan.

"What are you doing in _Minnesota?_ "

' _Looking for Bucky_ ,' he wants to say.  
' _Looking for you. Searching for SHIELD._ ' But there is no more SHIELD.

"Waiting," he finally settles on.

Luckily, Natasha doesn't ask for details.  
Instead she sighs. Steve thought she sounded sad, sorry maybe?

"You're not going to get anywhere doing this Steve. Just give up."

He wants to say something back but all he's met with is a dial tone.

The phone's pulled away from his ear and he stare at the blank screen.

A few minutes after the call ends, his phone gets a text.

_don't trace; this phone will be destroyed by one_   
_also_   
_don't wait up_   
_i won't stop 4 u 2_

Unceremoniously Steve hands the phone back to Sam who puts it in his pocket, not even looking at the message. At the same time they look at the clock.

_**12:56** _

Sam speeds up the car. Steve watches as everything outside blurs in itself, creating one large mirage of different colors. The world falls into a nice silence.

It's gonna be a long day.

—

One day while eating breakfast at a small, on-the-side-of-the-road, mom-and-pop diner, Steve's phone gets a text.  
From another unknown number.

_jfc cap where the hell are u?_   
_4 a ldr ur not that helpful_   
_u can go on ur little semi-heterosexual life-changing road trip later just come over here_   
**_now_ **

"'oo was tha'?" Sam asked through a forkful of scrambled eggs.

"Not sure." Steve frowned as the set down his fork and hastily wrote back a reply.

_Who is this?_

An answer is shot back almost immediately.

_what_   
_do you srsly not know_   
_come on capsicle i thought i could believe in you_

At that, it clicked. Steve smiled despite himself.

 

_Stark._

_and we have a winner!_   
_finally_   
_if u don't mind, you need to kindly get your star spangled ass back here_   
_like now_

_Why?_

_why?_   
_did you seriously just ask that?_   
_Have you not noticed what's been happening around you Steve_

' _I have'_ , he wanted to text back, ' _It was a rhetorical question'_

But really, it wasn't. Through this entire thing, Steve's not sure he's noticed anything.  
Everything just happened so _fast._ It was unbelievable.

Everything he knew,   
it just sort of.  
 _Left._  
Again.

He's not sure if he wants to go back. He doesn't feel ready.  
Nothing feels right anymore.

_cap_   
_cap u still there_   
_btw mind tellin where romanov is_   
_clints been freakin out since he came here_   
_he's either about to break something someone or himself_   
_point is im not paying 4 anything_   
_so yeah_   
_answers would be nice_

_ps bruce is here too_   
_he said hi_   
_he's glad your not dead_

Steve pulls the phone down into his lap and looks up. He forgot all about Clint.  
 _How the hell could he forget about Clint?_

Sam quickly downs a little bit of orange juice. He wipes his mouth.

"What was that all about?"

"Stuff. Business. Apparently Stark wants us to go to his tower."

Sam stops for a moment.  
"Stark? _Tony Stark?_ "

Steve doesn't hesitate for a moment.  
"Yeah, yes."

Sam frowns.  
"I thought he was dead."

"I did too."

The phone in his hand feels heavier.  
'The conversation lulls for a second before Sam speaks up.

"You wanna go?"

_'No I don't.'_  
The words stop at his lips. He leans back into the soft ( _too soft,_ he thinks absent-minded, _too comfortable_ ) cushion of the chair and he sighs. Looks back over the texts before closing his eyes.

He knows they're not going to get anywhere doing this. They're not going to find Bucky. They're not going to find Natasha. SHIELD's never gonna be rebuilt.  
It's all just mindless stalling. Previews before the actual movie.

The other words that begin to cloud his mind make him feel like a little kid again.  
 _'I don't want to go.'_  
 _'This doesn't feel right.'_  
 _'I'm not ready.'_  
 _'Please don't make me go. I just want to stay here.'_  
 _'I'm not ready. I'm not ready.I'm notready.I'mnotready. **ImnotreadyImnot-'**_

 

"Ready whenever you are."

**Author's Note:**

> ha ha   
> i still havent seen cap2 but ive just about been spoiled to death so rly it doesnt matter  
> (but i did pay/sign up to get a pre released dvd so yeah)
> 
> also stevesam = ultimate (br)otp  
> (it can work either way with me)


End file.
